In the automobile industry, vehicle cross-support members, crossbeams, cross car beams, and other similar components (collectively referred hereinafter as “vehicle cross-support members” or “cross-support members”) are utilized as part of the vehicular body structure. The vehicle cross-support member normally spans between or fastened to a pair of laterally disposed vertical pillars, or A-pillars, in the region below the windscreen, and between a forward engine compartment and a rearward passenger compartment, so as to extend in a direction transverse to the length of an automobile. As part of a motor vehicle body, the cross-support member provides for cross car stiffness and rigidity against for example side load impacts.
Located forwardly of the driver and the front-row passenger, the cross-support member also supports or provides mounting surfaces for various vehicle components, including an instrument panel, a glove and/or storage compartment, a center console, a dashboard and a steering column member. Although direct attachment may be possible, various attachment devices or assemblies could be utilized on the cross-support member to effect attachment of such vehicle components. The attachment devices and assemblies are preferably designed such that the noise and vibrations transferring from the vehicle engine, drivetrain, transmission or any other moving parts are reduced for optimal passenger comfort. Reduction of weight and production costs are also of important consideration in designing such attachment devices and assemblies.
A number of attachment assemblies for attaching the steering column member to the cross-support member are known. U.S. Pat. No. 8,029,045 to Merkle discloses an integrated cross-support member design having an attachment device of a three-dimensional ribbed structure fastened to a crossbeam body. The attachment device of Merkle includes a plurality of vertically oriented blanks coupled to the crossbeam body in a distributed, side-by-side manner over a partial length thereof, and in an orientation extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the crossbeam body to form a ribbed structure. Merkle describes that the ribbed structure provides multiple mounting locations for attachment elements, such as bushes and threaded pins, for attaching a vehicle component or a steering column to the crossbeam body. Specifically, Merkle describes that the attachment elements are coupled to two adjacent blanks in the gap between the blanks. Merkle further provides that for rigidity and stiffness, a bracing bar and rigid linking elements (to connect free ends of adjacent blanks) could be utilized.
Merkle suggests that such arrangements provide for improved stiffness and strength, as well as improved maximum mechanical load which may be placed on the attachment device. Merkle further suggests that the open structure of the attachment device allows for improved weight reduction, when compared to other known devices incorporating a closed structure.
It is believed that the attachment device of Merkle may suffer the disadvantages in that the individual blanks could be prone to transferring noise and vibrations from the engine compartment to the driver and the passenger compartment. Furthermore, the use of multiple blanks which must be fastened individually to the crossbeam body may require greater fabrication precision, and involve greater complexity and manufacturing costs. The vertically oriented blanks may also pose a serious safety concern for the driver, especially in the context of a head-on collision at higher speeds.